Pull toy with phonograph



Aug. 11, 1970 T M. I. GLASS ETAL 3,523,388

PULL TOY WITH rnonoamrn Filed Jan. 12, 1968 INVENTORS 6020mm. EARL 0W MAFV/A/ GLASS 'ATTORNE United States Patent 3,523,388 PULL TOY WITH PHONOGRAPH Marvin I. Glass and Gordon A. Barlow, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 111., a partnership Filed Jan. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 697,420 Int. Cl. A63h 7/00 US. Cl. 46-111 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A childs pull-toy which produces a sound characteristic of the configuration of the toy as the latter is pulled along a supporting surface. The toy is wheel supported and includes a housing containing a record turntable which is driven from one of the axles carrying a pair of the supporting wheels. A tone arm within the housing includes a stylus which is positionable to ride in the sound groove on the record with the tone arm engaging an acoustical amplifying cone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to pull toys of the type used by small children. This invention incorporates with such pull toys a phonograph device for automatically reproducing a sound appropriate to the toy as the toy is pulled along its supporting surface. A repeat device is provided on the phonograph, so that no setting or manipulation is required of the child in order to continuously obtain a sound as the toy is pulled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pull toy comprising a housing, a plurality of wheels supporting said housing, an axle carried by said housing and having one of said wheels fixed to each of the 0pposite ends thereof, a turntable rotatably supported within said housing and including a sound track on the upper surface thereof, means drivingly connecting said axle with said turntable, a tone-arm pivotall mounted within said housing and including a needle in position for engagement with said record, and an amplifying cone supported in said housing with the apex portion thereof in engagement with said tone arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pull toy embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the toy, with parts broken away and in section to illustrate the mechanism within the toy;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the phonograph device, illustrating the operation of the repeat mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in the drawing, the present invention is directed to pull toy 10, including a phonograph device 12 within the toy which is driven from one of the supporting wheel structures. The rotation of the wheels, as the toy is pulled along a supporting surface, is effective to rotate a turntable disposed within the toy and thereby produce a series of sounds.

More particularly, the illustrated toy is in the form of a fire truck and includes a body portion 14 and four support wheels 16 fixed to the opposite ends of a front axle 18 and a rear axle 20, respectively. The forward end of the truck includes a hook 22 on which a string or the like is tied and through means of whcih the toy may be "ice pulled along the supporting surface. Each of the wheels include a tread portion 24 of soft rubber or the like, so as to provide maximum traction between the supporting surface and the wheels.

Enclosed within the truck body 14 is the phonograph device 12 comprising a rotatable turntable 26 having its upper surface positioned generally horizontal and including a sound track 28 formed thereon. This sound track may be in the form of a record 30 fixed to the turntable, as illustrated, or the sound may be recorded directly on a plastic turntable. The turntable 26 is rotatably supported on a cylindrical post 32 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the truck body, through means of a large cylindrical portion 34 on the underside of the turntable which has a bore at its center which is slidable over post 32. The upper portion of post 32 is of reduced diameter and extends through an opening in the center of the turntable and record. Cylindrical part 34 includes a circumferential groove 36 into which is fitted an endless flexible belt 38 which is also disposed around a pully-like part 40 fixed to the central portiJn of the rear axle 20. Consequently, as the rear wheels 16 rotate, drive is transmitted from rear wheels 16, axle 20 and thence through the endless belt 38 to the turntable 26.

A tone arm 42 is pivotally mounted at one end on a vertically extending shaft 44 fixed within the truck body, and the other end of the tone arm includes a stylus or needle 46 positioned for engagement with the record 30. An intermdeiate portion of the tone arm is in constant engagement with a rib 48 formed on the apex of an acoustical type amplifying cone 50, which is fixed to the upper wall 52 of the truck body 14-. (one is supported at its periphery by a circular ledge 54 defined in upper wall 52, and a perforated cover portion 56 is fixed in place on wall 52 at the top of the amplifying cone. The amount of pressure of the stylus 46 on the sound track is determined by the mass of the tone arm pivot 58 and the pressure exerted by a coil spring 60 which is interposed between pivot portion 58 a mount 62 for shaft 44 fixed to the botom of the truck.

While it is desirable, during ordinary usage of the toy 10, to maintain engagement between the stylus 46 and the sound track on record 30, it is also desirable to be able to separate stylus 46 from the sound track, for example, during shipment of the toy. Thus, there is provided suitable means for achieving this objective, such as a camming means, indicated at 64, which is operable from a position outside the truck to elevate stylus 46 away from the record 30. More particularly, one flange portion 66 of pulley 40 is enlarged in diameter and includes a radially slotted portion 68 which cooperates with a depending L-shaped part 70 (FIG. 3) on tone arm 42 to provide a lock-out for the latter. In assembling the toy, the rear of the tone arm is depressed until part 70 on the tone arm is moved through slot 68 and the pulley 40 is rotated to lock part 70 within the circular flange 66. This movement of the tone arm pivots it clockwise about its point of engagement with rib 48 and lifts the needle 46 out of engagement with record 30. In order to reposition the tone arm 42 for engagement of needle 46 with the sound track 30 on turntable 26, the rear wheels 16 are rotated until the slot 68 in pulley 40 is at its uppermost position where part 70 is free to move upwardly under the biasing action of spring 60. As a result of the freeing of part 70, tone arm 42 moves to the position seen in FIG. 3 with stylus 46 engaging the record 30.

In order that the sound sequences on the record 30 might be reproduced in a generally continuous manner when the toy is being pulled along the supporting surface, there is provided a repeat mechanism 74 for the phonograph. This mechanism includes an arm portion 76 which is pivoted at one end on a pin 78 projecting upwardly from the turntable, and a coil spring 80 which is wound around pivot pin 78 and has one end fixed to a projection 8 2 On arm 76 and the other end engages the spindle shaft 32. The free end of arm 76 is curved and is normally positioned adjacent the center of the record or sound track, as seen in FIG. 2. As the tone arm 42 carrying stylus 46 moves to the innermost groove portion on the record 30, a cam portion 84 on the arm engages the outer end of arm 76 and moves upwardly to lift the arm and needle out of contact with the record. Continued rotation of the turntable causes needle 46 to force arm 76 outwardly, against the action of the coil spring 80, to a position adjacent the outer periphery of the turntable. At this point the stylus 46 moves off the curved outer end of the arm and drops into the outermost groove on the record 30. The spring 80 then returns arm 76 to its position abutting a stop pin 86 in readiness to again pick up the stylus and tone arm as stylus 46 again reaches the center portion of the record. The general sequence of movement of repeat mechanism 74 as it is engaged by stylus 46 is indicated schematically in FIG. 4.

What is claimed is:

1. A pull toy comprising a housing, a plurality of wheels supporting said housing, an axle carried by said housing and having one of said wheels fixed to each of the opposite ends thereof, a turntable rotatably supported within said housing and including a record on the upper surface thereof, means drivingly connecting said axle with said turntable, a tone-arm pivotally mounted within said housing and including a stylus in position for engagement with said record, an amplifying cone supported in said housing with the apex portion thereof in engagement with said tone arm, a generally vertical post providing the pivot mounting for one end of said tone arm, a coil spring disposed about said post in upwardly biasing relation to said tone arm, said stylus being fixed to the other end of said tone arm in position for engagement with said record, said tone arm engaging said cone at an intermediate position along the tone arm, and cooperating means on said tone arm and on said axle which are selectively positionable to releasably lock said tone arm in a position wherein said stylus is held out of engagement with said record.

2. A pull toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said turntable drive means comprises a pulley fixed to said axle for rotation therewith, and an endless flexible, drive belt positioned around said pulley and said turntable so that the latter rotates as said axle is rotated.

3. A pull toy as set forth in claim 1, including means on said turntable which is operable to engage said tone arm, as the stylus moves to the inner end of the sound track on the record, and reposition said stylus at the outer end of the sound track for repeat playing of the record.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,511 1/1926 Marchese 46111 2,978,836 4/1961 Kato 46175 X 3,362,102 1/1968 Nomura 4611l RUSSELL R. KINSEY, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

